Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Cut to “Sell” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Whirlpool from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $106.00.

Whirlpool Trading Down 2.0 %

Shares of WHR opened at $77.42 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. Whirlpool has a 1-year low of $75.03 and a 1-year high of $135.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -13.21 and a beta of 1.31. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $89.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $104.81.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.06). Whirlpool had a negative net margin of 1.95% and a positive return on equity of 21.89%. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. Analysts expect that Whirlpool will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $1.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $7.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.04%. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5,000.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WHR. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in Whirlpool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Nemes Rush Group LLC boosted its holdings in Whirlpool by 79.1% in the fourth quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 274 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Whirlpool by 323.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 275 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 113.6% during the fourth quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Whirlpool

Whirlpool Corporation manufactures and markets home appliances and related products and services in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The company's principal products include refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and refrigerator water filters; laundry appliances, and commercial laundry products and related laundry accessories; cooking and other small domestic appliances; and dishwasher appliances and related accessories, as well as mixers.